Help:Semantic MediaWiki

Extensions are features and add-ons developed for MediaWiki, the software platform that Wikia runs on. They are designed by third-party developers (that is to say, not Wikia or MediaWiki staff) for the purpose of either expanding the function of a wiki or overriding a built-in MediaWiki feature for customization purposes.

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How to request an extension

First, verify that the extension you are looking for does not exist already on your wikia. You can check this by going to Special:Version and looking under the "installed extensions" section or checking the extension's parser function or tag against the "tags" and "hooks" section at the bottom of that page. Wikia already has a significant number of extensions enabled by default.

Many other extensions are already in our codebase and can be enabled upon request. You can check what extensions Wikia offers later in this page. Some basic content tools, such Maps and Variables, are automatically enabled by staff. Other complex extensions, such as DPL, usually have a staff member ask a few questions to ensure that the extension you are asking for is in fact the ideal solution. Other extensions, where wikia configuration may be dramatically changed (such as Abuse Filter), will be enabled at staff discretion depending on the context of the request.

If Wikia does not offer a particular extension, you may request our engineering staff to investigate installing it by using Special:Contact and linking to the MediaWiki extension page along with some rationale as to why it's needed. Please be aware that our engineering staff may take a few months to review the extension and that most extensions will be rejected. This is mainly due to the amount of rewriting an extension would face to live on the Wikia codebase servers. As such, it's always good to ask yourself when looking an extension on MediaWiki.org if the extension is up to date, is well-maintained, and allows for a caching layer. If the answer to any of these questions is no, chances are we will not be able to install the extension.

Restricted

Grants users with the appropriate permission the ability to check user's IP addresses and other information (This is generally a staff-only tool, but some administrators of big wikis also have access to it.)

Allows a site administrator to temporarily block various site modifications (this is enabled as deemed needed)

Semantic MediaWiki

Used on a few dozen Wikia sites (including some of the biggest) until further notice, but problematical, never officially supported, and no longer requestable. Its "Help" page on this wiki redirects here, but discussion may be best confined to the SMW Test Wiki.